Station-indicator.



lPatentedv Apr. 29,A 1902.

W. SMITH. STATION INDIGATOR.

(Applicationled Dec. 13, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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@Hof/neg No. 698,754. Patented Apr. 29,1I902.

- W. SMITH.

STATION INDICATOR.

lAppIication-led Dec. 13, 1901.;

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IIIIIIIHHIIIIHIIIIIIII III H l? Il 1" :mm 'In UNTTBD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SMITH,` OF BASA'IROP, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PEYTON OAPEL ROBINSON, OFIBASTROP, LOUISIANA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming* part f Letters Patent N0. 698,754, dated April 29, 1902.

` Application tiled December 13, 1901l Serial No..85,`732. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SMITILa citi- Vzen of the'United States, residing at Bastrop, in the parish of Morehouse and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators; and-I 4do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the sa1ne,ref erence being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the figures of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in signal and station indicators of that class in which is employed a band adapted to bewound from one rollerto another and havingmeans Wherebythe same may be moved as each station is approached or at any other predetermined-time.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, to provide an improvedv indicator of this character simple in its nature, 'capable of manufacture at small cost, yet efcient in its operation, and notliable to get out of order.

I aim, further, attimprovements in the details of construction vwhereby better resultsV tion'will hereinafter appear, and the novel' features thereof vWill be specifically defined by the appendedclaims.

The invention is clearly-illustrated vinthe accompanying drawings, which, with the uumerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in Which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved station-indicator with a portion broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 isa substantiallycentral vertical section through the same from front to'rear. Fig. 4 is a View looking at the end opposite that seen in Fig'.V 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective showinga portion of the drum to which the operatingcord is attached and a portion of the adjacent drum and sprocket'over which the sprocketchain passes. Fig. 6 is a perspective View showing one of the adjustablekeys. Fig. 7 is a substantially central Vertical section through the same. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of one of the keys removed from its casing.`

f iis a roller disposedto Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in which they appear.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, l designates a casing adapted to be affixed in anydesiredposition in'any suitable manner. It is provided with an aperture 2, through which the names on the canvas are adapted to -be exposed' tofview. Upon the front of the case maybe affixed in any suitable manner4 any desired inscription, as hlextzstatiomf7 as seen in Fig. 1. The front wall 3,. in which the said aperture is provided, may be made removable to permit access to the interior of the casing, or the back Vmayhave meansforrready access to the interior,-if desired.

revolve in suitable bearings near the top of the casing, While 5 is another roller of the same diameter mounted to revolve in suitable bearings near the bottom of the said casiu g, as seen best in Fig. 3.. Nearthetopand bottom of the casing, near the front thereof, are disposed the smaller rollers 6 and 7, While intermediate V these rollers are the vvother smaller rollers 8 and 9,'disposedin a vertical plane a little Vback of the front .-smallerrollers 6 and 7, as -seen clearly in Fig. 3.

l0 is the 'canvas-or. paper or Whatever material isused. It is adapted tobe wound upon one ot' the llarge rollers and unwound therefrom onto the other. It passes, say, from the upper roller under the Asaine and' under the roller; 8, thence upward and over the roller 6, and thence-downward in a vertical plane parallel With and iu proximity to the front of the casing and past the aperture 2 therein, andunderthe roller 7 up over the front of th'e'froller 9 and thence downward.y and under :the lower roller 5,v all as clearlypshown in Fig.

3,.the-arrangement of rollers being such that Ythe canvas is kept smooth and heid in a vertical plane, stretched, as it passes the aperture 2 in the front wall of the casing, so the name on the canvas as it appears opposite `the said aperture may be clearly seen and read.

At the top of the casing I provide a longitudinal chamber 11 for a purpose which will soon be made apparent.

The shaft 12 of the lower roller is extended beyond the end of the casing and its extreme outer end is supported in the bracketl, suitably secured to the end wall of the casing, and at its upper end forming a bearing for the extended end of the shaft 14 of the upper larger roller 4, as seen clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. On the shaft 12 just outside the end wall of the casing is a ratchet-wheel15, with which is designed to engage a dog or pawl carried by a stem 16, movable in avsuitable housing 17, secured to the end wall of the casing, as seen best in Fig. 2, and spring-actuated to normally hold the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet. This stem is provided with a finger or pointer 18 and a suitable knob or handle 19. As this paw] or dog is in all respects silnilar to those employed in connection with the ratchets on the outer ends ofthe shafts of the large rollers and which are shown in detail in Figs. 6, 7, and S and will be specifically described hereinafter, a detailed description thereof is not deemed necessary. On the shaft of the upper large roller is a similar ratchet 20, and adapted forcoperation therewith is a similar Vdog or pawl 2l, mounted to move in a suitable housing 22 on the end-wall of the casing and likewise provided with an operating-knob and a nger or pointer, the object of which will be hereinafter fully set forth. On the lower shaft 12 is also fast a vsprocket-wheel 23, as vseen best in Fig. 2, the said sprocket being inclosed between the parallel annular flanges 24, between which is designed to be disposed the sprocket-chain 25, which passes around the said sprocket and around a similar sprocket-wheel 2G, secured to the upper shaft 14 and provided with similar flanges 27, all as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

28 is the operating-cord. It is attached at its upper end to the sprocketchain 25 by a loose-link connection 29, as seen best so as to allow of the cord being used at either the back or front of the sprocket and casing.

30 is adrum fast to the upper sprocketwheel and its ilanges, which latter, like the lower sprocket and its flanges, is loosely secured 011 the shaft upon which it is mounted, so as to turn independent thereof, and to this drum is fast one end of the cord or vchain 3l, being shown in Fig. 5 as provided with a hook or the like 32, which is detachably engaged Wi-th a cross-bar 33, held between the sides of the drum. This cord or chain passes npw-ard between rollers 34, held on the end of the casing and over a grooved pulley 35, i

at 39 within a housing 40, and around the pivot of the said lever is a spring 41, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The shorter arm 42 of this bell-crank lever is broadened and. flattened, as seen at 43, to ride upon the arm 44, which is pivoted on the short arm 45 of the bell-ham mer arm, which is pivoted at 46 and carries at its other end the bell-hammer 47, adapted for cooperation with the bell 48, secured to the outer face of the end wall of the casing, as shown. The spring 49 around the pivot of the bell-hammer arm serves to return the arm to normal position after it has been actuated to sound the gong. The outer face of the arm 44 is rounded or inclined, and the arm is normally held outward bya spring 50, interposed between the under face of the arm 44 and the arm 45. 'The spring 49 around the pivot of the bell-hammerarm is inelosed within a suitable housing 5l. The bellcrank lever 3S, the hammer-arm, the bell, and the accessories thereof are all carried by a plate 52, secured to the end wall of the casing, so as to be all removable therewith.

53 is a spring arranged within the chamber 11 at the top of the casing and having one end attached to the end wall of the chamber in any suitable manner and its other end connected with the cord or chain 3l, as seen` clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. This serves to return the parts to their normal position after the cord 28 has been actuated to operate the canvas and the gong, as will be readily understood.

Fast to the lower shaft 12 is a ratchet. 54, disposed outside the flanges of the lower sprocket-wheel, and upon the upper shaft 14 isasimilar ratchet 55, similarly disposed. Se-

cured to the outer iiange of the sprocket-` wheel is a casing 56, within which is adapted to reciprocate a stem 57, having at itslower end a dog or pawl 58, which has vone sidebeveled, as shown at 59. The upper endV of this stem is projected beyond the upper end of the casing and is there provided with a suitable knob or handle GO anda pointer 6l. Around the stem within and extending lengthwise of the casing 56 is a spring 62, which tends to normally force the pawl or dog downward. Around the upper end of the casing is a iiange G3, which is notched, as shown at4 (i4, (seen best in Fig. 6,) so that by raising the stem till the pointer is above the top of the iiange the stem may be turned and then lowered to bring the pointer in any desired position and the pointer then held between the side walls of the notch intowhich it is lowered. These pawls are so disposed that they may be used IOO IIO

with the tapered or beveled side in either of two operative positions, or byengaging the pointer in the middle notch the lower end of the pawl or dog may be made to rest upon the outer faces of the teeth of `the ratchet, and thus not operate either way. It will be understood that one of these pawls or dogs is employed in connection with each of the ratchets 54 and 55 and also that the pawls 16 and 21 are employed in connection with the inner ratchets 15 and 20, except that the notched iiange is not present nor necessary.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially'as above described the operation is substantially as follows: The canvas having been wound upon the upper roller, the upper key or pawl is set so that the upper ratchet 55 will be moved toward' the rear of the casing and the upper pawl 2l turned so that it will allow the ratchet 20 to move in that direction, but hold it against retrograde movement when the pawl 58 is taking a new hold, and the lower pawl 58, being set to allow the lower ratchet to turn backward toward the rear of the casing and the lower pawl or dog 16 set to allow the ratchet 15 to turn in the same direction, but prevent its retrograde movement,the operating-cord 28 is thrown back of the ratchet and when pulled upon the rollers 4 and 5 will be moved in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3, and the canvas will be moved so as to bring a new name opposite the aperture 2.' When the operat-l ing-cord 28 is pulled upon, the cord 31 is simultaneously pulled, and this pulls the short arm of the bell-crank lever 38 till after moving the arm 44 and the hammer-arm the predetermined distance it slips off the arm 44, when the springs around the pivotsof the hammer-arm and the pivot of the bell-crank lever will cause the gong to be sounded and return the parts to their normal position, the spring 53 serving to restore the bell-crank lever and the drum 30 and cord 31 to their previous position, when the pawls 58 will ride over the ratchets and the parts are in position for another pull on the operating-cord to display the next name on the canvas. When it is desired to reverse the movement of the canvas, all that it is necessary to do is to reverse the direction of the various pawls or dogs and then pull the operating-cord, so it will hang over the front of the sprocketchain, when a pull thereupon will revolve the rollers 4 and 5 in the opposite direction andthe canvas will be unwound from the roller 5 and wound upon the roller 4. The reversal of the direction of movement of the rollers and canvas does not affect in any wise the operation of the gongsounding mechanism, which remains the same under all conditions, the drum 30 moving with the upper sprocket-wheel and its flanges and always returning to the same relative position regardf` less of the direction of revolution of the roll-- ers and the canvas. l

The bracket 13 may be braced by a suitable brace 70, as seen in Fig. 1.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of Ithe invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a station-indicator, a roller, a ratchet fast on the shaft thereof, a sprocket-wheel having a flange, a casing on said flange, and

a spring-actuated pawl in said casing having l beveled side and an operating-knob and pointer, as set forth.

2. In a station-indicator, a roller, a ratchet fast thereon, a sprocket loose on said shaft, a drum fast with the sprocket, a pawl-casing, a spring-acting pawl carried by the sprocket and engaging the ratchet, said pawl being reversibly mounted in its casing, and an operating-cord reversibly connected with said drum, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with the roller and its shaft and a ratchet fast on said shaft, of a sprocket and drum loose on the said shaft, a reversible pawl carried by the lsprocket to engage the ratchet, a pointer carried by the pawl and a casing for the pawl having a projecting ange provided with notches, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a station-indicator, a casing having a chamber at its upper end, canvas-operating means,embodying a sprocket-wheel, a ratchet and a' pawl carried by the sprocket and engaging the ratchet and a gong and its actuating devices, a cord connecting the same vwith the canvas-moving mechanism., and

passed through said chamber and a spring within said chamber connected with the said cord to return the parts to their normal position, a pointer carried by said pawl, and a casing for the pawl having'a notched iiange, as set forth.

5. The combination with the canvas-operating mechanism, of a cord connected therewith, a bell-crank lever connected with said cord, a bell, a hammer-arm and an arm pivotally connected therewith having an outwardly-pressing spring and an inclined outer face to be engaged by the bell-crank lever, as set forth.

'6. The combination with abell, a hammerarm,an arm pivoted thereon, and a spring acting upon said arm, of a bell-crank lever having one end toA engage said arm near the pivotal connection of the two, canvas-operating mechanism,and a connection between the same and the bell-crank lever,'as and for the purpose-specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SMITH.

Witnesses:

T. J. BRODNAX, .I.A. ANDERSON.

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